Grain cleaner, separator, and drier



w. A. PETTEY S.

GRAIN CLEANER, SEPARA'IOR, AND DRIER APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4. I918.

Patented Nov. 29, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEE| I.

W. A. PETTEYS.

GRAIN CLEANER. SEPARATOR, AND DRIER.

I APPLICATION FILED JUN? 4. 1918. 1,398,275.

WILLARD A. PET'IEYS, or wlncox, NEBRASKA.

rant" ten.

GRAIN CLEANER, SEPARAT'OR, AND DRIER.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLARD A PETTEYS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Wilcox,in the county of Kearney, State of Nebraska, haveinvented a new and useful Grain Cleaner. Separator, and Drier; and I dohereby declare the followingto be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to an improved machine for screening, separatingand dry ing grain, as wheat and corn and other grains and one of theobjects of the invention s to provide a machine of this kind especiallyadapted for use in connection with grain elevators.

A further object of the invention is to pro-"" Vide a trough memberprovided with a plurality of screens of different mesh, each'beinginclined relative to the trough, and arranged and the amount of air tobe permitted to circulate through the grain during the screening andseparating process and also to catch and convey the dockage that dropsthrough the screens into a receptacle at the lower end of the trough.

A further object of the invention is the the provision of means forsupporting screening trough, whereby the inclination of the trough maybe varied for facilitating the screening, separating and drying of thegrain.

In practical fields the details of constructionmay necessitatealterations falling within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination ofparts ashereinafter set forth shown inthe drawingsand claimed.

In-the drawings Figure 1 is a view in side'elevation of the V bolts 21extend.

improved screening and separating machine constructed in accordance withthe invention.

Fig. 2 1s a plan view.

3 is a sectional view on line 3. '3-of Fig. 2.

Specification of Letters Patent. P te ted Nov. 29, 1921. Applicationfiled June 4, 1918. Serial No. 238,155.

Fig. 41 is a sectional view on line 4-4: of Fig.

F 1g. 5 1s an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view of the discharge endof the.

trough or chute.

Referring more especially to the drawings, 1. designates an elongatedtrough shaped chute or member comprising the sides 2 and 3. The upperportions of the sides 2 and 3 are connected and braced by transversechannel bars 41, through which the bolts 5 extend.

On the'outer faces of the sides are vertical reinforcing bars 6, throughwhich the'bolts 5 also extend, said bolts having nuts, for drawing theparts together and reinforcing the sides of the trough shaped chute.These bars have additional securing means such as screws 7. Secured tothe inner faces of the sides are a series of opposed angle bars, 8, 9,

10, 11, 12 and 13, 14, 15 and 16, which are arrangedin stepped relationand overlying each other, thereby providing guides for two series ofscreen members, designated 17 and 18. These s'creenmembers consist ofupper and lower frames, which are rectangular,

and provided with wire fabric material 19 or perforated metal which issecured to said frames in any suitable manner. The mesh of the wirefabric of the members 17 is larger than the mesh of the wire or metalfabric of the members 18, which may be removed, for the purpose ofscreeningcorn and the like. In fact by providing the'upper and lowerscreens with finer and coarser mesh, grain may be separated according tovarious sizes. The angle bars are inclined withv relation to the troughshaped chute, in order to hold the screen members inclined as shown. Bydisposing the trough shaped member on an inclination and owing to thestepped relation of the screen members, the grain may pass from onescreen member to the other. The screen members may be re movedfrom theirguides (in which they are frictionally held) by sliding the screeningmembers in the directions of the arrow at.

The angle bars forming the guides for the screenlng members are securedtothe inner faces of the sides of the trough shaped chute "by means ofscrews or the like 20. However, through certain of said angle bars rodPivoted upon the bolts 21 at the opposite ends of the trough shapedchute are bail shaped men Surrounding the rod bolts v21are sleeves 22which are interposed between certain opposite angle bars.

bers 23, which are provided with eyes 2 1, in

which are secured the ends of ropes or cables 25. By means of theseropes or; cables and 26 the trough .shaped chute or screening machinemay be supported on anyf desired grain elevator (not inclination from av shown) to any one of a plurality oi' bins (not shown), so that-variousgrains when dumped into the hopperi27 may pass through a screeningprocess during the passage to the bins. The cableior re e25 as well asthe rope or cable26 may be adjusted, to alter the inclination of thescreening machine-or trough shaped chute. Suitable open frames 28 arelunged at 29 to the side 3 of the chute. These frames 28 are interposedbe- 7 tween the channel bars 4. there being flanges 3O onthe channelbars to support the 28 when closed.

by the longitudinal strips 34, which are secured to the lower edgesofthe sides 2 and 3' by means of suitable screws 35; The shafts 33 areprovided with shutters 36 which are as shown inarranged to overlap eachother Fig. 3..

The shafts 33 adjacent one of the sides of the chute are providedw1thright angle extendin arms 38 and 89. The arms 38 of the.

b 7 lower series of shafts have ivoted thercto I a connectlng bar 40. Aconnectlng bar 41 1s pivoted to the ends of the arms 39' of the upperseries of shafts. Certain of thearms 38' and 39 respectively areextended to pro-- vide le'vers42 and 4-3, which havehandles 44c.

Se ment racks as are secured on the outer face of the side 2 of thetrough shaped chute,

' whereby the'teeth of which may be engaged by the ribs 46 of saidlevers, to'hold the levers in different adjusted positions. alt is to beobserved that the lower series of shutters maybe opened ind pendentlyof'theupper seriesand vice versa. By openin both series of shutters acurrent of air is'allowed to pass through the chute throughout its,entire length, and it is apparent that upon opening either one oftheseries of shutters, a current ofairis allowed topass throughonly aportion of the chute. In the operation the ma--' chine isytilted,substantially on a forty five degree inclination whereby its hopper endwill become positioned under an elevator spout (not shown) of anelevator drive way, and the lower end may be disposed to discharge ordump into suitable bin (not shown). Such a bin may comprisecompartframes hese frames'28 are cov eredby pieces of wire fabric ormesh work S1, to prevent the grain when passing from a one screeningmember 17 to the next'screendrying" the grain as it passes through thechute, and also blows the chaffand dust, dirt and like'from thesame; Thepounding and rubbing thatthe grain is subjected to as 1t rushes throughthe machine, at the same time the air cleans, scours and dries itassists inremovimg the chaff or other particles from the grain. Thechaiiis 'forcedout and the weed seed and shrunken kernels, usuallycalled doclrage are separated. I This dockage is worthless and whenretained at the elevator establishmentthe freight-is saved which hasbeen he'retofore paid on shipping thesame, andthe dockage so retainedmaybe sold as screenings. The grain thuscleaned raisedthe grade of thegrain, andconsequently commands higher price; Gravitationdraws the grain:through the machine and if greater or less'speed in the screening ofthe grain is-required either end o-fthe machine maybe raised or lowered.'Qne of the shutters 36 such as indicated at amay bore moved,for'lea'ving a space. This'space when the shutter as mdlcated at a isremoved allows the dockage to pass therethrough into a receptacle (notshown). This'space will also permit a current ofair to pass through thechute for cleaning the grain; However,

when this space is closed by the shutter as indicated'at'a the grain orthe like is conveyed'to the lowerend'of the chute, fordischarging intoasecond' receptacle. 3

Theinventionhaving been set forth what is claimed as new and usefulis 1. In a grain separating structure comprising a trough shapedrectangular chute, upper andlower spaced series of screening members,each of said screening'members' having upper and lower parallel-inclinedguides secured to the inner sides of the chute, screening frames ofdifferent mesh supported by the said guides, an upper and lowerindependent series of hinged shutters constituting a flooring for thechute and baffie plates-for the upper and lower series of screeningmembers,"and independent means to selectivelyopen eitherseriesofshutters to regulate the airdraft-within the chute. i 2. A'grainseparating structure comprising a reotangular'itrough, upper and lowerspacedYscreen-ing members in said trough, each of said screening.members havin incl'i-ned,.overlapping guides fixed-to the inner 130sides of said trough, frames provided with wire mesh of different sizesupported by said guides, an upper and lower series of independentlyhinged shutters constituting a flooring for the chute and baffle platesfor the upper and lower series of screening members, transverse rockshafts for selectively operating and angling either series of saidshutters to regulate the air draft within the upper or lower portion ofthe chute, segmental racks and vertical arms extending from said rockshaft for engagement with said rack whereby the said shutters may bemaintained in their predetermined position.

3. A grain separating structure comprising a chute, upper and lowerspaced screening members within said chute, hinged open frames abovesaid screening members, each of said screening members havingoverlapping, parallel inclined guides secured to the inner sides of saidchute, wire frames of different mesh supported by said guides, an

upper and lower series of independently hinged shutters constituting aflooring for the chute and baffle plates for the upper and lower seriesof screening members, rock shafts for selectively operating and anglingeither series of said shutters to a predetermined degree to regulate theair draft within the upper or lower portion of the chute, segmentalracks on one side of said trough, vertical arms extending from said rockshaft for engagement with said racks whereby the shutters may bemaintained in their angular set position and flexible means forsupporting the ends of the chute in its inclined, operative position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLARD A. PETTEYS.

Witnesses:

E. L. LiNDsAY, WM. HALSTEAD.

